Why Sofía Vergara Walked off ‘America’s Got Talent’ Stage Last Year

Sofia Vergara wasn’t standing for Howie Mandel’s joke about her divorce from Joe Manganiello on America’s Got Talent! The Griselda star walked off the stage after her fellow judge poked fun at her single status during the Sept. 13, 2023 episode of the NBC competition show – although ultimately Mandel insisted it was all in good fun. 

The jab at Vergara came during a segment of the talent show in which the Modern Family actress was connected to a lie detector by fellow judge Simon Cowell. Mandel took the moment as an opportunity to ask his co-star if there was anyone in the audience she was “interested in,” causing her to take off the lie detector and storm back to her seat at the judges’ table, responding, “That’s it!”

Mandel previously received backlash online when he mentioned that his fellow judge was “in the market right now” for a suitor in a conversation with a contestant the month prior. While people accused Mandel of being insensitive about Vergara’s divorce at the time, he told Entertainment Tonight soon after that he wasn’t taking their criticism to heart. 

“I was helping Sofia!” Mandel told the outlet at the time. “I just thought, ‘Oh my god. Using Heidi to find an eligible bachelor? Hello! Who’s right here? Sofia is on the market, ready and eager!’ And then online people said it was too soon and it was tasteless.” Mandel continued, “It’s not too soon! It’s too soon when she’s still married. Last season was too soon. Even if she saw it coming. I don’t think she did. I’m just saying, that was too soon. As soon as she’s free, as soon as they live in separate homes, the door is open, people!”

Vergara appeared to take the first joke well too, with Mandel revealing that she “came over and thought it was funny” after he made the comment, joking that he’s now acting as “her [dating app] Bumble.” The comedian insisted, “She approved of the joke. She thought it was funny. She posted afterwards. But the internet is mad.”

Manganiello filed for divorce from Vergara in July 2023 following seven years of marriage. The couple confirmed their split in a joint statement to Page Six at the time. “We have made the difficult decision to divorce. As two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect of our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives,” they wrote. The former couple tied the knot in November 2015 in a lavish Palm Beach ceremony.